Joint and flange assemblies are used in many different technological fields and suffer from various disadvantages and problems. For example, with exhaust flanges that are used in the automotive industry, costs are increasingly becoming a critical factor in the manufacture of car parts and many companies are trying to reduce their costs by reducing their labor or material expenses. Another problem that manufacturers face is that their exhaust systems are required to meet emission standards over a predetermined period of time. As a result, individual parts within the exhaust system, such as exhaust flanges, must be fully operational during a warranty period, which can be a very difficult task.
Another problem faced by manufacturers of exhaust flanges is damage due to corrosion. Currently, exhaust flanges are manufactured entirely using standard carbon steel or stainless steel, but both of these materials have inherent disadvantages. Stainless steel exhaust flanges have adequate corrosion resistance but are costly to produce and therefore, the cost of replacing stainless steel exhaust flanges is relatively high. On the other hand, carbon steel exhaust flanges are cost-effective but typically corrode quickly and, as a result, are difficult to service within the warranty period.
It is therefore desirable to provide a novel joint assembly which overcomes at least one of the disadvantages of prior art joint assemblies.